Costco’s food court does not move fast. The hot dogs stay. The soda refill stays, and the pizza slices stay. So when something new shows up, folks notice.
The wholesale chain recently slipped in a limited-time item that feels suspiciously coincidental: a Double Chocolate Mint Sundae.
The timing isn’t subtle. McDonald’s brought back its Shamrock Shake on February 17. Costco rolled out its mint dessert on February 16.
Not a shake, but close enough.
What’s in the cup?
The sundae layers mint soft serve with chocolate sauce and a chocolate cookie crumble on top. It’s priced at $2.99, which is fifty cents more than Costco’s standard chocolate or strawberry sundaes. At 790 calories, it’s not pretending to be light.
The dessert hasn’t landed at every warehouse, but going by social media posts, it seems to be popping up across the country.
For a chain that rarely tweaks its food court, that alone makes it news. Costco doesn’t run constant menu experiments. When something changes, it usually sticks around for years. That’s part of the appeal—consistency over novelty.
Perhaps Costco has finally understood that seasonal items also have their own pull.
The Daily Meal’s Garrett Palm tried the new sundae and said the mint flavor was noticeable without overpowering everything else. The chocolate sauce carried most of the richness, while the cookie added texture that’s denser than an Oreo, closer to the inside of a Thin Mint.
Viral Costco fan account @CostcoNewDeals (on Instagram) also gave it a thumbs-up, calling it “minty, chocolatey” with a satisfying crunch.
The FOMO factor
Costco isn’t the first to borrow from a rival’s seasonal playbook. Fast-food chains copy each other’s hits all the time. Pumpkin spice spread far beyond Starbucks after the PSL took off. Mint shakes, though, have mostly remained McDonald’s territory each February.
Until now.
Limited-time offers work because they create a deadline. Retail and restaurant analysts have said the urgency pushes both new and existing customers to show up. You don’t have to change your whole menu; just give people something that won’t be there forever.
For Costco, that strategy hits differently. The warehouse club isn’t known for rotating treats. So when a mint dessert appears just as Shamrock season kicks off, members take note.
The Double Chocolate Mint Sundae is here for now. Like most things at the food court, there’s no flashy countdown. Just a new swirl in the cup, and the suggestion that if you want it, don’t wait too long.
Sources: The Street, Daily Meal